Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, highlighted AI’s influence in his first address, comparing it to the industrial revolution and stressing the Church’s role in AI ethics.
Artificial intelligence has already made its way into the Vatican, at least in spirit. In his first formal address as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV said the influence of AI shaped not only his thinking, but his choice of Papal name.
Speaking to the College of Cardinals two days after his election, the former Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost reflected on the legacy of his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903. The new pope drew parallels between the rapid industrialisation of the 19th century and today’s surge in artificial intelligence.
“Pope Leo XIII, with the historic Encyclical Rerum novarum, , addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,” he said. “Today, the Church offers to all her treasure of social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and the developments of artificial intelligence.”
The original Rerum novarum, issued in 1891, addressed the rights of workers amid the upheavals of the industrial age. Pope Leo XIV told the cardinals that the Church must now confront the ethical challenges of today’s technological era — particularly those posed by AI — with the same moral clarity.
“In our own day, the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour,” he said.
The comments come just days after former US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pontiff, joking he would like the job.
Pope Leo XIV’s remarks continue a line of thought taken up by his predecessor. Pope Francis frequently addressed both the promises and perils of AI. He was himself the subject of AI fakery in 2023, when a fabricated image of him wearing a white designer puffer jacket went viral. In 2024, during a speech in Vatican City, he warned about manipulated images that “appear perfectly plausible but false.”
Later that year, speaking at the G7 summit, Francis called for international agreement on “algor-ethics” — moral frameworks guiding the use of AI technologies.
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Francis, whom he called a friend. “Let us treasure this precious legacy and resume our journey,” he said, “animated by the same hope that comes from faith.” He also echoed Francis’ focus on care for the poor, popular devotion, and active engagement with the modern world.
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